


Eren's Island

by Purplesauris



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Brief description of animal death, I had this idea at like 2 in the morning, I really like the idea of a feral Eren, M/M, Sort of like Nim's island, the poor panther
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-01
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-06 23:10:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1876011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purplesauris/pseuds/Purplesauris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren has a good life, living all alone on an island set to destroy him. No rules, great friends (The monkeys could be nicer) and all the time in the world to do absolutely nothing. There's nothing like bonding with a man who tried to kill him like stabbing a panther to save him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eren's Island

**Author's Note:**

> Wow okay so this is totally out of nowhere and the AU is just something that popped up in my head. I am a bad person who has barely started chapter 9 of My Heart Beats For You, so have this instead while I write ;-; as always, send me some love or just look at stupid things I reblog on my tumblr at purplesauris.tumblr.com

He has a good life, Eren decides, when he's 11 and climbing trees with birds flying around him. His mother may have died and his father may be nowhere to be found, but supply shipments keep coming every month and he has all he needs, so he has no reason to complain. He talks to the posters on his walls because there's no one else, and he knows that when he's finally able to find the courage to leave his sanctuary, he'll need to be able to communicate. He requests books on how to learn French, and by the time he turns 13 he is fairly confident he's fluent in at least 10 languages. Communication, Eren thinks, is one of the most important things to have.

Eren also prides himself on keeping his body healthy and able to tackle any problem. By 15 he sports a very defined pack of abs (despite seeming lanky), and arms that would make anyone drool, regardless of sexual orientation. Climbing trees and exploring an island will do that to a person, Eren supposed. His father always prided Eren on his incredible body, not just looks or strength, but his immune system and healing. Eren never really thought about the fact that he never got sick, no matter the circumstances, and when he got injured, the amount of time it takes him to heal is half that of a normal person. He just assumed that was normal, and gave no thought to minor scrapes and bruises that healed within the day from tree branches or angry parrots. Eren always heard from his mother stories of his strong German heritage, and thanked it for the fact that he didn't burn spending hours in the sun, just tanned to a perfect brown that set off his eyes. He remembers his mother saying that his eyes were like gems of the sea, beautiful green orbs with waves of blue, like the ocean with lost gold shimmering beneath the surface. Eren prefers to say his eyes are green, it's easier to write down on a passport, or any legal document for that matter. He doesn't think about his father or the fact that as soon as his mother died when he was 7 he disappeared, leaving Eren to fend for himself. By now, at 20 years old Eren has practically mastered the art of surviving on an island set against his existence. 

Eren learned all there was to living life on an island infested with dangerous animals that would kill him without a thought. Eren in turn, learned from the animals that became his only companions, watching their every move and scrutinizing their way of life. Eren was more animal than human by now, all guttural growls and snarls, quickly intimidating many of the smaller and less dangerous creatures. Eren moves fluidly, limbs moving in sync as he runs through the forest effortlessly, heading for the dock. With the beginning of a new month comes a new shipment of supplies, and the only chance at human contact for weeks. Eren watches the boat warily from the trees as it pulls up, and only when a familiar figure with coal black hair and a blood red scarf steps down the ships ramp does Eren appear from the trees, swinging down off the high branches easily. 

"Eren!" The woman runs up to him, gripping his arms and looking him over, turning him this way and that. 

"Mikasa, I’m fine." Erens voice is thick and raspy with disuse, but Mikasa understands what he says and lets out a relieved sigh, hugging him. Every instinct Eren has grown up with tells him that this girls touch is dangerous, to get away, but he quells them by reminding himself that this is Mikasa, and his arms go around her securely. "You look well."

Mikasa nods and lets him go, stepping back politely. "Conditions have improved at home." Eren nods and they start off down the dock, Eren standing calmly by the ramp as Mikasa climbs back aboard her ship. "Guys, start unloading the boxes, I don't pay you to sit around." Mikasa's voice is commanding, causing the men and women alike to scramble about, grabbing crates and carrying them down the ramp and across the dock, heading for the large house they know is hidden among the trees. Eren wordlessly takes two heavy crates from Mikasa, ignoring her stubborn glare as he heads off down the worn dirt path. 

A man with a buzzed head and goofy grin walks beside Eren, carrying crates haphazardly. "Hey Eren! It's good to see you man, it's been a while!"

"It is good to see you too Connie, where's Sasha?"

Connie's grin widens as they set their crates down in the large back room. "She's on leave, she's five months pregnant!" 

Eren claps Connie on the back, smiling at the good news. "That is wonderful, I am happy for you two."

"Thanks man, when the little tyke is born we'll bring them along to meet you."

"Good good!" Eren looks at the various crates scattered throughout the room, looking for one in particular as he moves about. He stops suddenly, sniffing the air and looking at Connie suspiciously, who only laughs.

"You gotta find them yourself man." Eren scowls, looking more like he's pouting childishly than actually angry. Eren sniffs again, trying to catch the scent of the flowers but only smelling the scent of pine from the wooden crates. His eyes sweep over the crates, locking onto a petal on the floor near a tall stack of crates. 

"Really?" Connie snickers and Eren rolls his eyes, heading over and scaling the stack easily, ripping the lid off the crate to reveal a large pot containing hundreds upon hundreds of the purple flowers that his mother always liked. He no longer remembers the name, but Mikasa is always making sure they're included in the shipment, seeing as no matter what Eren tries, the flowers are unable to grow on his island. He lifts the pot out of the crate and drops off the crates, going and placing it in what is supposed to be a living room. 

"Sup survivor man, drank your own piss yet?"

Eren whips his head up, glaring daggers at the tall man in front of him. "That is disgusting. Why hasn't Mikasa fired you yet Horseface?"

"Probably because we're-"

"We're what, Jean?" Eren snickers at the terrified look on Jean's face, ducking out of the room as Mikasa scolds him for being childish. He ducks out the door and scales a tree, sitting high among the branches, hidden among the leaves. Eren valued his friends, and he enjoyed their company, but their presences on his island made him nervous, jumpy almost. Mikasa says he's socially awkward from being alone for most of his life, but he prefers to say that it's his instincts warning him that people are dangerous. Jean slinks out the door with a scowl, heading and disappearing onto the boat, Reiner and Connie following after. Mikasa steps into the doorway, looking around uncertainly. "Eren? We have to leave now." Eren sighs and drops out of the tree, startling Mikasa and causing her to drop the flower in her hand. Eren catches it before it hits the ground and tucks it behind her ear, twisting the stem between locks of hair so it stays in place. 

"You'll be back?"

"Of course I will. Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Eren nods wordlessly, looking towards the large boat. "I prefer to stay here."

"Okay. Goodbye, Eren, I'll see you next month."

"Goodbye Mikasa, be safe." Mikasa hugs him hesitantly again before pulling her scarf up higher and heading down the path. Eren scales the tree again, breaking through the canopy to watch as the boat moves from the dock, bringing Mikasa and the others back to a world Eren knows he doesn't belong in. He waves at the boat until he can no longer see it before hopping through the trees, watching as multi colored parrots take off into the sky and small monkeys swing through the trees with him, hooting and chattering at him. Here, Eren thinks, is where he belongs; among the trees, living both as beast and man.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eren has an erratic sleep schedule, waking up at the slightest suspicious noise and sleeping curled up in a corner so that his back isn't exposed. His bed is built high off the ground, more a huge pile of pillows and blankets than an actual bed, but he prefers it that way. The moon is high in the sky when his eyes snap open to the sound of a rather large crack and he goes on the defensive immediately. He pulls the large hunting knife he always keeps from under a pillow and drops down on the floor in a crouch, eyes sweeping the room. He slips out his window and to the ground below, landing silently and treading through the thick undergrowth, eyes scanning along the ground.

It's dark, but his eyes have grown used to it and the moon penetrates through the leaves well enough for his eyes to pick up on the broken branches and ripped leaves, leaving an easy trail. The broken branches and leaves are spaced out, only happening when the terrain changes or it gets a little too dark, so Eren knows whoever has invaded his island is very skilled. It doesn't matter much to Eren though, he's grown up on this island, practically raised by the wild life, so he can hear the person moving behind him, and his back prickles with awareness of the eyes on him. He stops following the path, instead weaving expertly through the trees, tucking his knife into the waistband of his shorts as he leaps up into the trees, swinging from branch to branch quickly. He knows that whoever is following won't be able to keep up, not in the dark, not when he doesn't know the island, so when the footsteps are faded in the distance and he's certain they won't be able to follow him, he settles down. He chooses a thick branch fairly high up and rests against the trunk, intent on getting at least two more hours of sleep. 

The sun peeking over the horizon wakes Eren from his slumber, and he laughs when a tail curls sleepily around his neck, a small black monkey with white stripes laying on one shoulder. This particular monkey liked to hang around Eren, always tittering and looking inquisitively at him. Eren affectionately named him Armin and never shooed him off, letting the small monkey do what he pleased. Most monkeys had brown eyes, but Armin had bright sky blue eyes, which Eren has never seen on another monkey. Eren rubs behind Armin's ear the way he likes before using vines to swing himself back to his house, landing with a soft thud outside the front door. He slips inside after waiting to see if Armin was going to relinquish the hold he had on his hair, heading for his room. He gently pulls Armin's paws away from his hair and lets him curl up on his bed while he goes and showers the sap off of him, yanking on underwear and a random pair of shorts. It's too warm for Eren to feel the need to put on a shirt, so he grabs his knife and lets Armin ride on his shoulder as he ducks out the door and heads into the trees. The intruder from last night has Eren on edge as he weaves through the undergrowth, feeling as if he's being followed the further he gets from his home. He sends Armin off with a low grunt, heading for the cliff where he knows he can confront the stranger and most certainly win. He breaks through the trees and heads for the edge, barely pausing before throwing himself off. 

A man steps from the forest, quickly moving to the edge and peering over, decked out in all black, a pistol held in his hands. He looks at the water below before running a hand over the buzzed portion of his head, dropping his shoulders. Bare feet swing over the ledge, landing a hard kick that knocks the man back and sends the gun flying from his grasp. Eren lands fluidly in a crouch, bringing his hunting knife up to the man's throat. The man swears at being outmaneuvered and stares up at Eren, a scowl on his face. Eren glares down at him, eyes tracking every movement the man makes, a growl ripping from his throat when the man goes for the knife strapped to his hip, the blade at his throat pressing in harder. The man freezes as a roar sounds through the air and Erens head whips up, a startled look on his face. His lips twitch and he growls at the man, standing up and approaching the large black cat. The two circle each other, Eren staying low to the ground, his lips pulling back in a snarl when the cat roars. The cat bars the air and Eren holds up his blade, leaping as the cat does and tackling it out of the air and rolling with it, all flashes of teeth and metal as Eren wrestles with the cat. Claws rake over Erens shoulder, not quiet catching and digging into the skin, but leaving shallow cuts regardless. Eren growls and brings the knife down, sinking it into the cats chest with a cry. The cat gives a weak roar, twitching and swiping pitifully before going still. 

Eren stands up and stumbles back from the creature, gripping the knife tightly as he turns to the man laying astounded on the ground, gun pointed at the dead cat. Eren whirls, kicking the gun from the mans hand with a warning growl. "Who are you?" The mans eyes narrow and he presses his lips together, choosing not to answer. Eren scowls and grabs the man's collar, lifting him up so that they are eye level. "You are trespassing on my island. I won't ask again."

"Levi." The man spits out, glaring openly now. Eren snorts and sets Levi down, looking him over. 

"You are a strange man."

"You're an animal." Eren grins and laughs, wiping his blade off on his shorts before tucking it in the waistband of his jeans, barely noticing when Armin settles himself on Eren's shoulder again. 

"Thank you. How did you get here?" Levi watches Armin with open disgust, his eyes flicking to the blood dripping down Eren's arm. 

"I swam. How the fuck do you think I got here?" The smile slips from Eren's face and his fingers twitch towards his blade, eyes narrowing at the hostile tone of voice. Levi's expression doesn't change, but his eyes flick nervously over Eren's face. Levi could have sworn that Eren's eyes were a rich emerald, but now they seemed to gleam like pirates gold. The sight is eerily similar to when Eren took down the cat, eyes tracking each and every movement, body coiled tightly, ready to pounce at the slightest hint of a challenge. Levi knows immediately that this boy in front of him is not human the way he or anyone else is. He is primal, more animalistic than human. Dangerous. "Look kid, I'm not going to-"

A growl rips from Eren when Levi raise his hands in a calming gesture, and Levi freezes. Eren stalks closer, towering over Levi, and Levi instinctively goes to push him back, placing his hands on Eren's chest. Eren's lips pull back and he snarls, catching Levi's wrists, his grip surprisingly soft for someone who looks like he's about to throw the man touching him over the cliff behind him. Eren doesn't push Levi's hands away from his chest, staring down at the stark contrast between Levi's pale hands and Eren's chest. Eren seems fascinated by the contrast, his eyes softening as he stares, still holding Levi's wrists. "Why are you here?" Eren looks up from Levi's hands on his chest, letting go of his wrists and allowing Levi to draw his hands back and shove them in his pockets. 

Levi sees no point in lying to the boy, a feeling of unease in his gut warns him that he'll know if Levi is lying. "I was dropped here."

"Dropped here?" Eren looks confused, swatting at the monkey on his shoulder when it starts pulling his hair as if he's missing something important. 

"Yes brat, dropped here. Is there any way for me to get off the goddamn island?"

"Eren." Levi raises an eyebrow but doesn't comment, waiting for him to elaborate. "My name is Eren."

"Did I ask for your name?" Eren rolls his eyes and waves for him to follow, heading off into the forest. Levi follows behind warily, watching how effortlessly Eren moves, not sparing a glance at the ground but never stepping on a twig or branch. Parrots perch on his head momentarily, squabbling with the monkey before Eren shoos them off, letting them bat at him without complaint when they get angry. "You're like fucking Bear Grylls."

Eren pads down the dock, untangling the monkey from his hair and setting him down on the dock. "Let's talk." He pulls out his knife and sets it down next to the monkey, turning towards Levi with a confused look. "Who's Bear Grylls?"

"Are you fucking serious?" Eren motions for Levi to disarm himself, which Levi scowls and does so hesitantly, dropping knives and setting another pistol down on the dock. "How do you not know who Bear Grylls is?"

"The only people I know are my parents and the people who bring supplies every month." Levi's brow furrows more, and confusion is clear in his eyes. 

"Wait. That house, further inland. That's yours? You live here? Alone?"

"Yes. This is my island, as I said before. Why?"

"Fucking incredible. I get dropped to die on an island and freaking George of the Jungle appears."

"Who put you here?" Eren looks just as perplexed as before, waving for Levi to sit at the end of the dock with him. Levi sits as far from Eren as he can, sitting cross legged while Eren kicks at the water, Armin on his lap. 

"A few coworkers of mine. Why the hell is that monkey always with you?"

"Who, Armin?" Eren pets Armin who sleepily looks up at Levi, blue eyes shining with knowledge. “I don’t know. I found him being picked on by a few bigger monkeys and fought them off. He’s just taken to staying around me. None of the other animals like him too much, he always finds ways to outsmart them and steal their food.”

Levi snorts and reaches out towards Eren, pausing when Eren’s eyes narrow momentarily before he relaxes. He gingerly touches Eren’s arm, peering at the scratches adorning his shoulder. “Why aren’t you worried about these?”

Eren furrows his brow and looks at his shoulder, shrugging. “They’re almost gone by now I’d bet.”

“Bullshit they're gone by now.” Eren raises an eyebrow and moves Armin from his lap, reaching down and scooping up water, pouring it onto his arm without so much as a flinch at the salt. Bloody water slides over his arm and shoulder, washing the blood away to reveal three fading lines on his shoulder. Levi’s fingers brush over the lines and he stares at Eren. Eren stares back, gazing intently at Levi as if he stared hard enough then all the questions and doubts he has about Levi would be answered and disappear. 

“They were only scratches.” The trance Levi seemed to be in breaks when he blinks and pulls his hand away, placing it in his lap. 

“Scratches don’t heal that fast brat.” Eren looks confused, tilting his head to the side and furrowing his brow. “Scratches take days, if not a week or two depending on the person to heal. You healing so quickly isn’t normal. I bet Hanji would get a fucking kick out of you.” 

Something is itching at the back of Eren’s mind, a nagging feeling that they aren’t the only two on the island, that someone else is trailing him still. Eren gets up and walks down the dock, scooping up his knife, eyes sweeping over the forest, pinpointing a group of leaves shaking slightly. His body leaps into action as he ducks and rolls, narrowly dodging a bullet which lodges itself into the wood, standing up on his knees and pulling his arm back to throw his knife. His eyes narrow, tracking the movement he can see in the trees, waiting for just the right moment before sending the blade flying, a sadistic grin taking over his face when he hears a cry of pain and a few seconds later a thud, signalling that whoever shot at him has fallen from their perch in the tree. Eren ignores the sounds of levi scrambling up in shock as he takes off, smacking branches away until he finds a man sprawled out on the forest floor, Eren’s hunting knife embedded in his shoulder. Levi bursts through the leaves, staring down at the man with an indescribable expression on his face. Eren’s lips pull back in a snarl as the man struggles to get up, his expression turning feral as he growls and moves towards the man, yanking the knife from the mans shoulder while the man whimpers pitifully. 

Eren raises the blade, eyes flicking momentarily to Levi, who just looks away with a blank expression. “Please! Wait! D-don't kill me! I’m just doing my job!”

Levi’s head whips towards the man and he crouches down beside him, staring impassively, holding a hand up for Eren to wait. “Were you sent to kill me?”

“Y-yes, they sent me, I’m just trying to do my job, I’ve been here for days, I want to go home!” 

“You’re going to contact your boss, tell them you were successful and get off this island. If you ever tell anyone I’m alive, or that this island is even here, I will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand me?” The man whimpers and nods, clutching at his shoulder as Levi stands up and brushes himself off, pushing at Eren’s shoulder to get his attention. “Not bad kid. We need to get out of here.”

Eren blinks and turns his attention towards Levi, following him like a puppy as Levi moves farther into the forest, heading in a twisting path until they arrive at his house. “Are people going to come here, will I have to give up my island?”

“No. If that man knows what’s good for him, he'll make sure no one ever speaks about this island or its whereabouts.”

Eren looks relieved, some of the tension leaving his body. "I don't want people to come here."

Levi shoves open the front door without so much as a glance back at Eren. "How did you know he was there?"

Eren frowns, rubbing the back of his neck in contemplation. "I do not know how to explain it. It's sort of like going diving without any of that weird equipment. When you first go under you aren't really looking around at your surroundings, and the lack of air doesn't bother you. But the longer you stay under the more you become aware of all the different things around you while your brain is screaming for you to take a breath. It's like I have a minds eye of this place, and my whole body was screaming at me that someone was there, that I was being pursued. Mikasa says I have heightened senses because of how I grew up." Eren looks conflicted between trying to explain it a different way and hoping Levi got what he said. 

Levi just nods and mutters, "You really are an animal.”

Eren just rubs the back of his head and heads farther into his house, stopping at the kitchen sink to scrub the blood off of his knife. “How long are you going to be here?”

Levi leans against one of the counters after deeming the chairs not worth it, picking at the dirt underneath his nails. “I can try and get transport as soon as possible if you want me gone.”

Eren’s hands still as a look of uncertainty overtakes his face, his eyes unfocused as he stares at the shining metal. Did he want Levi to leave? When he first confronted the man, he was going to kill him without hesitation had that panther not appeared, all because he was on Eren’s island and was an obvious threat to his life. But now? The man was still a threat to him, he knew that, his mind screamed that, all by the way Levi carried himself and how he could easily leave Eren feeling uneasy with only a few words spoken. Levi wasn’t like Mikasa or Connie or even Jean, they were people he knew, people who were there to watch him grow. This man standing behind him, nonchalantly watching him from the corners of his vision as he cleans his nails, causing his neck to prickle, was a stranger. He was painfully blunt in his analysis of Eren, calling him an animal, but even then, he didn’t seem put off by Eren’s existence. More awestruck that someone like Eren could exist and still be human, still reach out and protect a stranger that would do him harm.

Levi’s fingers twitch nervously in Eren’s peripheral as he turns, setting the knife down and staring at Levi. Eren originally thought the man’s eyes were silver, but the more he looks, the more blue his eyes seem to be, a very pale blue, like nothing he’s ever seen, but it intrigues him. No one has ever been on his island with his knowledge as long as Levi, not even Mikasa, but the anxiety and wariness that usually builds is almost nonexistent. Throughout Eren’s internal battle with everything he knows, he decides that no, he doesn’t want Levi to leave. Levi may very well be the only person Eren is ever going to meet that accepts him for who he is without trying to find some shred of humanness that shows he isn’t the feral animal he actually is. 

“No, no I want you to stay, I just… I’m not going to make you stay. I needed to know so I can tell Mikasa to start bringing more stuff, is all.”

“So I can stay here? For how long?” Eren nods, smiling brightly and leaning back on the edge of the sink. 

“For as long as you want. Like I said, I want you to stay, but I won’t force you. A supply ship comes every first day of the month, so if you ever want to leave, I can talk to Mikasa and have her take you back to the mainland.”

“Thank you.”

Eren just smiles wider, feeling at ease for the first time since his mother died.


End file.
